Apparatus for cleaning glassware



Oct. 13, 1931. v. sT MAcKREs APPARATUS FRZCLEANING GLAsswARE 5 Sheets-Sheet l -Filed Sept. 20, 1927 EW fg im Oct. 13, 1931.' v. s. MAcKREs APPARATUS FOR CLEANING GLASSWARE 3 Sheets-Sheet` 2 Filed Sept. 20, 1927 Y vzzor TMm/iematg Mo/ozzey Get. 13, 1931.

v. sfMAcKREs APPARATUS FOR CLEANING GLASSWARE Filedsept. 20, 1527 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Illa 5 having a milk 'i0 fat inl t Patented voei.. -13, 1931.-

vl1326,942. 'l

l UNITED STATES PATENT-f ort-*ica f l' -vsanxosala'or I I Mpman ma september so, im. serial n. saam.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning glassware used in dispensing food and beverages.

The dispe of ice-cream and beverages .stores is attended with great danger to the health of the ublic-owing to the diiculty in cleaning the glass after use. This diicultiy; is caused, rincipally, by -the butter glass in a tenacious manner so that vconsiderable elbow grease is required for its removal. Obviously power driven machines for clean# ing glassware is out of place in the general 0 run of fountains and stores employedin dispensing milk products.- Attemptshave been made, however, to provide dispensers of milk products with a simple and cheap-apparatus for cleaning the dispensing glass after use. This apparatus comprised an animal bristle brush carried by a spindle which was mount ed so that when a glass-Was positioned over the brush by the operative and then pushed Vdownwardly the spindle was reciprocated a spiral surface on the spindle thus imparting rotation to the brush in contact with the glass.

But animal bristle brushes are hard to clean and are therefore unsanitary. They ished 0 their bristles easil and deteriorate readily.

under the attacko alkalis, acids, and greases in the soaps and cleaning compounds used on butter fat but heretofore no way has been' found to utilize a rubber brush on the rotatable and redV to. This is'becausethe tuft of rubber bristles grippedV the glass so tightly as to prevent relative movement between the rubber brush and the glass which is ne in order'for thespindle to function properly.

The principal object ofthe present invention is to produce an apparatus of the ro'- tatable and longitudinally reciprocatable brush supporting spindle vtype in which rubber brushes may be used to clean glassware.'

ase through fountains and e milk pro ucts which sticks to the longitudinally through a nut engaged with longitudinally, reciprocatable spindle of the apparatus hereinbefore refer- 'ro the iemplishmeni of this object a featureof the present invention contemplates the provision in an apparatus for cleamng glass- 'I ware used in dispensing food and beverages having a tank for a-cleaning duid and a rotatable and longitudinally reciprocatable spindle,vof rubber brushes carried by said spindle and submerged inthe duid. .With this construction the fluid renders'the rub ber vbrushes slippery enough -to permit the ready rotation and longitudinal reciprocation of the spindle while the brushes are `engaged with the glass without, however, nullifylng the rubbing action of 4the rubber brushes on the glass necessary to clean it of the butter fat.

Fountains for dispensingruilk products i are necessarily limited in the space occupiedv I of brush' '710i by them and, independent of the type employed, it is diicult to find space in the water tanks with which they are usually provided for an apparatus for cleaning glassware for use in dispensing food and beverages provided with a rotatable and longitudinally reciprocatable spindle.

Accordingly another object of the present mvention is to produce an apparatus of the type referred to in which the spindle vhas a short stroke relatively to the bottom of the tank thus to save head room for the operation' of the spindle.

' To the accomplishment of this object,' and such others as may hereinafter appear, the various features of the present invention relate to certain devices, combinations and. arrangements of parts fully set-forth hereinafter and thendescribed broadly andin detail in' the 'appended claims. The various features of the present tion will be best understood from 4an inspection ofthe accompanying drawings, illustrating the best form of the'invention atpresent known to the inventor, in which: v

- Figure 1 is a front v elevation `showing a drinking glass in initial operative position, a tank containing the cleaning uid being shown broken away and in sectional detail;

.n 2 is a right-side elevation showing the normal position of the brushes;

Fig. 3 is a detail in longitudinal sectional elevation, the brushes being removed;

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the rustoconical spring; 1

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on the line 5-5, Fig'. 2;

Fig. 6 isa perspective of the covering tor the resilienl arms carrying the brush for cleanin the exterior of the glass;

Fig. is a lan of the brush for cleaning the interior o the glass; l

Fig. 8.is an underside plan of the brush illustratedin Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation ofthe line 9-9, Fig. 8; Y

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of the line 10-10, Fig. 8;

. engages the i centrally in a nut 35 is positioned through tles 16 integral with the sheet 15.

tral portion The copper Fig. 11 is an underside plan of one of the brushes for cleaning the exterior of the glass; and V Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation of the line 12-12, Fig. 11.

Referrin to the drawings of the piece'of glassware, erein shown as a drinking glass, is cleaned bya` brush 13 (Figs. 1 and 2) which bottom and sides interiorly of the glass and by two brushes 14 which engage the exterior of the glass'adjacent the mouth thereof. The brush 13 comprises a backing sheet 15 (Figs. 7 and 8) from .one face of which projects a tuft of rubber bris- The brush 13 comprises three portions, namely, a cen# 17 which engages the bottom of the lass, and two lateral wings 18 and 19 whic engage a portion of the button and the entire extent of the sides. The central portion 17 is 'stiiened by an annular copper disk 20 (Fig. 10) which is vulcanized into the material of the sheet 15. The lateral wings 18 and 19 are each stifened adjacent their ends by two laterally curved pieces of copper 21 and 22 igs. 8 and 9) which are vulcanized into e material of the sheet 15. ieces 21 and 22 are curved so as to maintain 1n an open condition an elongated pocket 23 (Fig-9) formed within the material of the sheet 15. 1

The central portion 17 of the brush 13 is provided with an opening 24. The underside of the central portion 17 is provided with a squared depression 25 which fits upon a uared head 26 (Fig 3) on the upper end o avertical spindle This spindleis rovided with a spiral portion 28 and a cy indrical portion 29 separated by a shoulder 30. The spiral portion of the spindle 27 engages a spiralled surface 31 (Figs. 3 and 5) formed 32 carried by the small base of the frusto-oOnical cage 33 forming part of a casing for the spindle 27. The other part of the casing for the spindle 27 comprises a tube 34 the blind end of which is below the bottom of a tank 35 and the open end of which an opening 36 formed the spindle 27 comprisin the cage 33, the blind tube 34. and the coup ing 37 are secured to the ltank 35 by a nut 38 which is threaded on the tub-e 34, a rubber washer 39 being interposed between the coupling 37 and the inside bottom of the tank 35, and a metallic washer 40 bein interposed vbetween the outside bottom oft e tank 35 and the nut 38.

Referring aga-in to the brush 13fthe lateral wings 18 and 19 are supported respectively by resilient arms 41 and 42'( Fig. 2). To this end the arm 41 engages within the pocket 23 on the wing 18 and the arm 42 engages within the pocket 23 on the wing 19. With this construction when a lass is positioned over the brush 13 the resi ient arms 41 and 42 bend under the pressure of the glass to automatically adapt the brush 13 to the internal shape of the glass. Downward pressure on the glass causes the spindle 27 to be depressed from the position of Fig. 2 into the position of Fig. 3. During the longitudinal reciprocation of the spindle it is rotated by the stationary nut 32 thus causing 4the brush 13 to rotate within the glass. l i

During the downward reciprocation of the spindle the cylindrical portion thereof is guided centrally of the tube 34 by a disk 43 which looselyl lits within the cage 33 and which loosely engages the coupling 37 and the open end of the tube 34. The disk 43 is provided centrally with an opening 44 which embraces the cylindrical portion of the spindle 27. Downward movement of the spindle 27 is limited by the engagement of the head 26 with the smail base of the cage 33.

In orderv to return the s indle l 27 to its normal elevated position an to maint-ain it there, a irusto-conical spring 45 (Figs 3 and 4) is coiled around the cylindrical portion 29 of the spindle 27 and is interposed between the disk 43 and a small washer 46 loosely mounted on the cylindrical portion 29 in engagement with the shoulder 30. Upward movement of the spindle 27 is limited by nuts 48, on the lower end of the cylindrical vportion of the spindle 27, which engage a central boss 49 on the disk 43. l

By providing a construction in which the spindle 27 reciprocates in a path partly above and partly below the bottom of the tank, the stroke of the s indle relatively to the bot tom of the tan is shortened considerably, thus allowing the spindle to be used in a shallow tank. Moreover, the use of a fruso-conical spring which coils under compression into substantially a single plane (Fig 3) affords a saving in head-room over the cylindrical type of spring heretofore employedwith a rotatable and longitudinally reciprocable brush supporting indle. Y

Each of the brushes 14 is provided with a pocket 50 (Figs. 11 and 12) by means of which the brush 14 is'tted upon the free -in the bottom of the tank 35. The casirig for projects from the head glass, to position the brush 14 adjacent the v exterior of the glass. In ition' the glass between the brushes 13v and' 14 the mouth ofzthe glass-engages the arms 51 and 14to the shape of the glass.' -In order to protect the mouth of the glass from being l chippedor broken by contact with the arms avoided. When the tween the brushes 13I 51', each of the arms 51 is covered by a rubber cover. 52 (Fig. 6). This cover comprises a channel 53 which embraces the arm 51 and a thick rib 54 against which the mouth ofthe glass contacts.

y In order to facilitate the relative sp' of the glass and thebrush 13 as the glass is pressedA downwardly the head 26A carries a vitreous pin 55 of glass or bakelite, for ine stances. This pin 55 has a rounded tip 56 which engages the bottom of the glass thus providing a'hard pivot upon which the glass spins relatively to the brushes.' A While the arms ,41, 42 and 51 mafv be separate pieces projecting laterallyrom the head 2 6, I prefer to form the arms 41 and 42 in one iece and the arms 51 in another piece.

To this end the head 26 is formed in two .illn-ln cy cal surfacethereon, a stationa 'pieces (see Fig. 3). A strap 57 carrying the arms 51 and a strap. 58 carrying the arms 4 1 and 42 are'crossed and welded together 'and to the adjacent faces of the head 26. In operation, the tank 35, which is provided with the Ausual inlet and outlet for-the shown in Fig. 1 the mouth of the glass, as it is positioned between the brushes 13 and 14, contacts only with rubber so thatl chipping or'breaking of the mouth of the glas is glass is 'positioned beand 14 the pin 55 engages the bottom of theglass. Downward pressure on the glass causes the spindlev 27 t0 reciprocate longitudinally through the nut V32 which through en ment with-the *glass without, however, nulli 128 tte th ind ,27thuscausin- 1ra' ro a s e Sp e g` spiral surface thereon; means'forsupport-- t e glass to spin relatively to the brushes 13 and 14 on the hard pivot 55. The brushes 13 `and `14 are rendered slippery` enough by the cleaning' uidto rotate readily on the fying crnpletely their frictional engagement with the glass suicient to rub it clean. It must be understood that the positioning of the glass a). VThis mn' 2e 'the bends theminwardly to adapt the brushes .the washer.

between the brushes 13 and 14 andthe reciprocating of the spindle 27voccurs in one'continuous downward movement of the glass held in the hands lof the operative. At the bottom of its stroke pressure on the spindle 2'?v is released.` The compreed spring 45 then reverses the direction of movement of position. Duringthe return 'o Athe spindle to normal position the brushes 13 and 14 rotate on the thereof. Y Y

It will be clear to those skilled in the art and with `the general objects of the present invention in -view that cha may be made `in the ,details of structure, t e described'and illustrated embodiment thereof being` tended as. an exploitation of its under ying essentials, the features whereofare definitely stated in their true scope in the claims hereto c atis claimed as new, is:

1. In an ap ratus for clea lassware usedindispengi'ngfood and mngg hav' ain-opening in the bottom thereof, a casing, l extendin Athrough Said opening, secured Yto the tan said casing having a 'de e d lwith the upper endjof the tube and thggcyliendrical surface of the spindle for maintainingthe spindle in the longitudinal axis of the tube.

2. In an apparatus for cleaning glassware used .in dispensingV food and beverages, a

vtank having an opening in the bottom thereof,

a casing, extending through said opem' ,Se-

beverages,a tank indle to return it toits ori al normal u.' l glass to complete the cleaning' I chamber' within the tank and ablind'tube nut cured to the tank, said casing havin a sv to-conical cage within the tank an a blind tube depending-`below the tank, a brush supporting spindle having a spiral surface and a cylindrical surface separated by a shoulder,

a'yvashei on the cylindrical surface of the spindle engaged with the shoulder, a guide for maintaining the cylindrical portionof the spindle in the longitudinal axis of, the

tube, and a frusto-conical spring coiled about thev cylindrical portion of the `spindle,`said spring havin its largler base-engaged with the guide an its sma er base engaged with 3. In an apparatusforcleaiiing'glassware used in dispensing food and beverages, a

ist

vertical brush supporting 'spindle having a.

Vnormally elevated position comprising a frusto-conical spring, mounted within the cage, the convolutions of which follow closely the internal surface of the cage.

4. In an apparatus for cleaning glassware used in dispensing foodl and beverages, a tank having an opening in the bottom thereof, a blind tube extending through the opening and having its open end positioned within the tank above the bottom thereof, a

tion embraced by the opening in the disk, a

washer on the cylindrical portion of the spindle, and a spring coiled about the cylindrical portion of the spindle and interposed between the washer and the disk.

In an apparatus for cleaning glassware used in dispensing food and beverages, a vertical spindle, a plurality of resilient arms projecting laterally therefrom, a single brush supported by said spindle and two of said arms for cleaning the interior of the piece of glassware including the bottom and sides thereof, and a. brush supported by at least one of the other resilient arms for cleaning the exterior of the piece of glassware.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

VASILIOS S. MACKRES. 

